Passenger Count Flies Higher

Airlines

Orlando Posts 10.4% Gain In February

The number of passengers using Orlando International Airport is continuing its upward flight.

In February, the airport posted another double-digit increase in traffic - up 10.4 percent to 1.8 million compared with 1.6 million a year earlier.

The airport got off to a fast start in January, with an 11.7 percent increase, and is setting a pace that should easily surpass 1992's record year of 21.1 million passengers.

The February increase was led by an 11.1 percent rise in the number of domestic passenger arrivals and departures, pushing the month's total in that category to 1.6 million.

Orlando International and other airports include both arrivals and departures to compile total passenger traffic data, while national passenger traffic is measured in departures only.

International passenger growth at Orlando cooled somewhat in February, rising 4.4 percent to 158,503. The gain was down from a 14.4 percent increase in January.

Industry specialists said international traffic is historically light during the late winter months, but it should build to a peak in summer as foreigners flock to Orlando-area attractions.

International cargo handled by the airport was up 32.7 percent for the month to 1,382 tons. Domestic and international cargo combined rose 9.6 percent to 15,689 tons, or 31,378,000 pounds.

Miami International Airport also posted a significant increase in international air cargo for February. For the fifth consecutive month, the amount of foreign freight grew more than 11 percent, with February registering a 12.7 percent jump to 72,479 tons.

The growth was attributed in part to continued strong increases in cut-flower imports from Central and South America. Cut flowers accounted for about 18 percent of the tonnage in February.

International passenger traffic at Miami, the state's busiest airport, was up 13.1 percent to 976,249, while total traffic climbed 9.1 percent to 2.3 million.

Tampa International Airport total passenger volume increased 5.88 percent to 754,473, despite a 12.85 percent drop in the number of international visitors, to 58,474. Airport officials blamed the decline on bad weather in Canada that caused a reduction in those visitors to the area.

At other Florida airports in February:

Daytona Beach International Airport's total passenger traffic edged down 3.3 percent to 73,899. Cargo was off 14.5 percent to 122,037 pounds.

Melbourne International Airport traffic slipped 8.24 percent to 51,677. Air cargo was up 4.99 percent to 276,084 pounds.

The major airlines reported mixed results last month in revenue passenger miles. A passenger mile is the equivalent of one paying passenger flying one mile and is a key measure of airline activity.

American Airlines, for example, saw its revenue passenger miles increase 7.5 percent to 8.2 billion, while TWA dropped 33.5 percent to 1.8 billion.